Batter board



May 3, 1960 H. KLAUM 2,934,826

BATTER BOARD Filed March 25, 1959 INVENTOR y walm Gn, GMME. 1-

ATTORNEYS United States Patent BATTER BOARD Henry Klaum, Johnstown, Pa.

Application March 23, 1959, Serial No. 801,307

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-1) This invention relates to improvements in batter boards for use in building construction and has for its principal object the provision of a batter board unit of simple construction and light weight, which can be produced at low cost, and which is readily collapsed into a compact structure when not in use.

In the erection of buildings and the like, it has long been the practice to provide adjacent each corner of the building structure and outside of the building foundation a structure to which lines may be secured for the purpose of defining square corners and a true horizontal plane conforming to the desired outline of the building, these structures being known as batter boards. Batter boards are commonly constituted by wooden strips disposed in vertical planes with their upper edges extending generally horizontally, the strips being supported by nailing them to wooden stakes which are driven into the ground and lines being stretched between the batter boards at adjacent corners of the building. More recently there have been developed in the patented art preformed batter board structures of metal, adapted to replace the crude wooden batter boards, but so far as can be determined, no extensive use has been made of any alleged improved structures. In fact, it is still common practice to employ the earlier makeshift type of batter board. This is understandable, since the alleged improved structures are unnecessarily complex, thereby involving excessive manufacturing cost, and do not afford suflicient advantage to justify the cost. By the present invention the defects in earlier proposed structures are overcome.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the batter boards are constituted by elongated members of generally L-shaped configuration in transverse section, and may be formed from conventional aluminum stock, which is light in weight, inexpensive, and yet sturdy and durable. The two batter boards of each unit are hinged together so that they may be swung from a collapsed position in which the boards lie in contiguous relation throughout their length to an extended position in substantially perpendicular relation. Supporting legs are similarly hinged to the batter boards for swinging movement from a collapsed position generally coextensive with the boards and in contiguous relation therewith to an ex tended position perpendicular to the boards, so that the legs may be driven into the ground to support the boards with one side thereof in a generally horizontal plane and the other side thereof depending therefrom. Clips to which lines may be conveniently attached are slidably mounted on each board so that the lines may readily be adjusted lengthwise of the boards to ensure accurate alignment of the building walls.

It is a feature of the invention that when the legs are extended, their upper ends abut the underside of the hori- "ice Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the use of my improved batter board unit in building construction work,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a batter board suit embodying the invention,

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken substantially on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a view in plan, and Figure 6 is an end elevation of the batter board unit when in folded or collapsed position, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 7-'-7 of Figure 3.

In order to promote an understanding of the invention, reference is made hereinafter to the preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and specific language is employed in describing the same. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that no limitation of the invention is thereby intended, such further embodiments and alterations of detail being contemplated as would normally occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

The improved unit consists essentially of two batter boards 10, 11, hinged together as indicated at 12 by a single rivet or pivot stud. The batter boards, and the supporting legs hereinafter described, are preferably made of elongated pieces of L-shaped configuration in transverse section; any metal or equivalent material may be employed, but aluminium is preferred, because of its resistance to corrosion and its light weight. When in use the batter boards 10, 11 are supported with one side or flange disposed in a generally horizontal plane, and the other side extending in a generally vertical plane and depending therefrom.

A corner leg 15 is hingedly connected to the depending side of batter board 10 adjacent the intersection of the two board, preferably directly below the overlapping sides of the board, as shown in Figure 2. A rivet or pivot stud 16 extending through the depending side of board 10 and through one side of leg 15 may afford the hinged connection therebetween.

Similarly, and legs 18 are provided adjacent the outer end of each batter board, being hinged to the respective boards by rivets or pivot studs 19. Each of the legs 15, 18 is pivoted to the associated batter board so that when the leg lies in extended position as shown in Figures 2 to 4- inclusive, the upper end of each leg abuts the horizontal side of the board to which it is pivoted. This limits the movement into extended position to a substantially perpendicular relation between board and leg, and insures that driving force applied by striking the horizontal side of the board immediately above the leg will be transmitted directly to the leg, so that the legs may be driven into the ground without damage to the pivotal connections. It will also be noted that each leg 15, 18 is chamfered or rounded as indicated at 22 to permit the leg to swing freely into folded relationship with the associated board. When the unit is completely folded, as shown in Figure 5, it consists of an elongated compact structure of small lateral dimensions, convenient to handle and stow.

Since the corner leg 15 and one outer leg 18 are hinged to the same board 10, provision is made for permitting one leg to fold within the other leg, and for this purpose I may provide a washer 23 surrounding the rivet or pivot pin 16 to space the leg 15 slightly from the depending side of board 10, so that one side of the adjacent end leg 18 may lie between the cornerleg 15 and the depending side of the board 10 when the unit is collapsed. It will be noted that since the legs are hinged within the angle stock of which the boards are it formed, the fingers cannot be pinched or cut as the unit is expanded or collapsed, thus minimizing injury to unskilled users. 7

To facilitate the attachment of lines to the batter boards 16, 11, each board is provided with a line clip 25 formed of sheet metal, bent to embrace the board and to grip the same frictionally, so that the clips may be slid lengthwise of the boards to position the lines properly. Ears 26 may be struck up from each clip 25 to alford a cleat, whereby lines may readily be securedto and removed from the clip.

In practice the batter boards 10, 11 will be several feet in length, and may be made of metal stock from one inch to two inches on each side, and the legs will be of less but generally comparable length, somewhat shorter than the boards so as to fold within the boards when the unit is collapsed, as illustrated in Figures and 6. It will be appreciated, of course, that dimensions are in no way critical, and that the unit may be made in varying lengths for particlular uses.

Having thus described the invention, "what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible batter board unit for use in building construction, said unit comprising a pair of batter boards hinged together for swinging movement from a collapsed position in which the board lie in contiguous relation throughout their length to an extended position in which the boards define substantially a right angle, each board being constituted by an elongated structural member of generally L-shaped configuration in transverse section and supported, when in use, with one side of the L extending generally horizontally and with the other side depending thereirom, a corner leg hinged to the depending side of one of said boards adjacent the intersection of said boards, and end legs hinged to the depending side of each of said boards at a point remote from the intersection of said boards, each leg being hinged for swinging movement from a collapsed position in which it lies partly within the board and in contiguous relation with the board throughout its length to an extended position perpendicular to the board with its upper end lying immediately beneath and in abutting relation with the horizontal side of the board to which it is hinged, whereby the free ends of the legs may be driven into the ground by striking the boards at points directly above the legs without damage to the hinged connection therebetween, each leg being constituted by an elongated structural member of generally L-shaped configuration in transverse section, and pivot pins extending through each leg and the depending side of the associated board, and through the horizontal sides of the boards, to effect the hinged connections therebetween.

2. A collapsible batter board unit for use in building construction, said unit comprising a pair of batter boards hinged together for swinging movement from a collapsed position in which the boards lie in contiguous relation throughout their length to an extended position in which the boards define substantially a right angle, each board being constituted by an elongated structural member of generally L-shaped configuration in transverse section and supported, when in use, with one side of the L extending generally horizontally and with the other side depending therefrom, a corner leg hinged to the depending side of one of said boards adjacent the intersection of said boards, and end legs hinged to the depending side of each of said boards at a point remote from the intersection of said boards, each leg being hinged for swinging movement from a collapsed position in which it lies partly Within the board and in contiguous relation with the board throughout its length to an extended position perpendicular to the board with its upper end lying immediately beneath and in abutting relation with the horizontal side of the board to which it is hinged, whereby the free ends of the legs when extended may be driven into the ground by striking the boards at points directly above the legs without damage to the hinged connection therebetween.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,562,597 Breuninger July 31, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 700,207 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1953 715,062 Great Britain Sept. 8, 1954 

